Wired - but Homeless

Interesting story in the Wall Street Journal yesterday. I love the WSJ to keep track of the markets but don't normally think of it as a good medium for "keeping it real"...

Apparently there are a number of homeless people who have no access to TV, radio, etc. - but are proficient internet users including hosting online forums, social networking, blogging, etc. They get access from public libraries, resuscitated pc's, etc.

What a wild wired world!

Closed :)

Closed my deal - at long last :)

Champions League - European "Football"

Barcelona just beat Manchester United in this year's Champions League match. This - and my previous beverages post - combine to bring back interesting memories. I went to the Champions League in Istanbul to watch an amazing soccer ("football") match between AC Milan and Liverpool. What a crazy spectacle! Lots of inebriated, rowdy (read: rabid!), knowledgeable, passionate fans.

The funny thing is that Heineken - with whom I have a complicated relationship (more at another time) - bought up what seemed like half the 100,000 seat stadium. Supposedly for "clients" and "branding"...ha ha! It was an excuse to send all the employees to a soccer match. The funniest thing for me is that Liverpool had Carlsberg on their jerseys and got infinitely more exposure. (by the way we signed a licensing agreement and brewed Carslberg in Egypt before selling the brewery to Heineken)

Cheers again!

Red Bull Charging Again

Hats off to Red Bull - creating a multibillion dollar market from caffeine, sugar and taurine - the evolution of Coke and Pepsi's peddling of colored carbonated sugar water into a global empire.

What a marketing machine - and we continue to buy it! First, getting all the "ravers" and party animals to mix Red Bull with vodka - perk up while you drink down...throw in a few bans from commercially insignificant countries...add a couple of deaths that the company can hold at complete arm's length and not accept any culpability...

And now the latest - the new cola has been banned in Germany for traces of cocaine. By the way we're full circle - how do you think Coca-Cola got its name? (Hint - what's the trademark bottle inspired from?)

For me - once a Ranger always a Ranger - and once a beer / beverages guy always a beer / beverages guy...

Cheers!

Happy Centenary to MI6

To our friends "across the pond" in the UK - happy birthday to MI6, British foreign intelligence - 100 years old today.

A Tired Dog...is a Good Dog!

Smoke his bags...work out all that energy...and he's a lot of damn fun.

My theory on dogs - and boys - get 'em tired.

The Drama that's Mike Tyson's Life

OK, so a lot of his woes are self-made...and definitely seems to have more inner demons than most of us...but this is so damn tragic - his 4-year-old daughter just died in a freak accident on the treadmill at home.

Here's hoping you find peace Iron Mike.

Perspective

One billion people - around 1 in 7 human beings - live without access to clean water. Whoa!

Mental Health and the Economy

So it's not surprising that the economic environment has created mental health issues with some folks. My friend - we served in 2nd Ranger Battalion together, he's now a firefighter / EMS and in my opinion a thought leader in the space - has put a new dimension on it. According to his analysis and supported empirically, one of the first budget cuts is in social services particularly for mental health. So ironically, as demand is increasing, supply is decreasing...

I can give his full-blown take on the various societal ramifications of this - which I hope he'll publish in an op-ed piece - but bottom line that means a lot more folks with mental health issues running around without their needed support. Food for thought...

Memorial Day

To all the troops - I salute you and thank you for your service. To those who paid the ultimate price - RIP - you are not forgotten. We always remember you and give thanks and respect but today is special.

Another Trend in the Middle East - Social Networking as a Political Tool

With elections coming up, Iran just banned Facebook. Seems the progressive youth are glued to Facebook and that threatens the powers that be.

A few months back protesters in Egypt were using Facebook as a very effective organization and communication tool. The government saw that as a threat and took actions...

Recent Observations on the Middle East

I am observing what might be some new trends in the Middle East (or perhaps are disjointed, one-or-two-off occurrences). Two of these trends could spell dangerous new directions, and one is familiar and refreshing - in context - although irritating.

By the way every time I think about Somalia - I feel very emotional and pay tribute to our lionhearted Ranger and Delta brothers who paid the ultimate price. What a f'd up confluence of preventable circumstances that resulted in needless tragedy. (I don't like to commercialize something so special but just so you folks can share my perspective this was memorialized in the book and movie "Blackhawk Down"...)

Somalia

• Trend - communal idealogical / socio-religious groupings vs. clan / tribal affiliations - in other words societally organizing along belief lines rather than communal lines - I can't think of any other examples of this happening in any mainstream communities
  
• Story - Islamic groups taking arms against each other in this lawless state - example is moderate "Sufis" (mystics) vs. extremist "Shabbab" ("youth")
  
• Background - from my personal observations the Middle East and Africa revolve around tribal affiliations and loyalties. It is well known that to solve an issue in this theater requires going to the local leader. I hear many Westerners compare Shia vs. Sunni, or Jordanian vs. Saudi, as if this context in isolation explains cultural, religious and philosophical outlook. Of course religious sect and nationality help provide a context. However in my opinion historically the way things happen - the real drivers of society and the keys to resolving conflict - comes down to the tribal level. (Like we say in the US, "all politics are local".) Just for the sake of clarity, my observations are primarily formed having studied Iraqi society prior to Desert Storm and then more significantly having lived in Egypt for a few years, doing business and traveling throughout the Middle East and Africa
• Implications - could this be the start of a new trend? What would happen if this spread to the biggest hotspot in the world (in my opinion) - Pakistan? Will the US be able to get our mojo back and "win hearts and minds" behind our ideals, which the world respects, loves and aspires to? In other words could we see the enabling and empowering of more "Sufis" to provide a positive alternative to "Shabbab"?
  

Egypt

• Trend - foreigners conspiring on Egyptian soil to destabilize the government and threaten public security and welfare
• Story I - first we had what I felt was a very surprising admission from Hezbollah leader Nasrallah that indeed several Hezbollah operatives were on sovereign Egyptian soil. In my opinion this is a major story. I believe it compromises Hezbollah's credibility in its claim that it's a Lebanese political party. Further - even more surprising - was Nasrallah's admission of Iranian complicity in the matter! Iran and Egypt - in fact the entire Arab world - have a very shaky relationship. (One massive sticky point in the two countries' relations is the fact that Iran refuses to change a street named after the killer of the great President Anwar Sadat. As an aside, I went to Iran with an Egyptian citizen. I was treated royally and departed and arrived and cleared with the greatest of ease - while my Egyptian colleague was detained and questioned intensely. Of course that could also be due to his personality, for those of you who know "the Panda" :).)
• Story II - it appears that several foreigners were behind the recent bombings at the "Khan el Khalili" market.
  
• Background - historically Egypt is a very peaceful place and Egyptians are unbelievably hospitable people. While in my opinion what I call "the socio-religious pendulum" is swinging far to the right - and some of the extremist idealogy of the region springs from Egypt (think Muslim Brotherhood and Ayman Zawahiri, both born and bred in Egypt) - there is not a background of Egyptian violence committed against Egyptians.
  
• Implications - what will Egyptians reaction be? In keeping with the above story in Somalia - what will society choose (although there is not too much of a free choice these days regardless)? What does this mean for Iran's positioning across the region? Hezbollah's?
  

Iraq

• Trend - massive outcry over corruption in government - change the names and place and it could be New Jersey, London, etc. or virtually any other democracy
• Story - investigations on corruption across government - even two of Prime Minister Al-Maliki's brothers are indicted
  
• Background - elections are about 9 months away, and the US is committed to pulling out shortly
• Implications - am I reading this wrong or is this not politics as usual? I feel empathy for the citizens and non-corrupt government members - but in the "big picture" from several thousand miles away I am encouraged as I interpret it as a normal progression on the path to democracy and self-rule

Thoughts for the day...

Go Melo!

With all respect to Kobe - and that's a gargantuan amount of props, he's awesome - I would love to see a Nuggets-Cavaliers series. Tell you what - if there's any area of my life I'm a true "wannabe" - it's when I watch LBJ play ball...

Shazam!

Gurkha's Rights

I am happy to hear that the Gurkhas - some of the bravest and fiercest warriors in the world, hailing from Nepal - have finally been won a long fought battle. The Gurkhas now have the legal right to settle in the UK - which they have loyally served for approximately two centuries.

About time!

"Bloggers Beware"

"What you write could get you sued" says today's Wall Street Journal. Highlighted is a blogger in Bellevue, Washington - near my old stompin' grounds of 2nd Ranger Battalion - who is being sued for slander and libel for what she wrote in her blog. Background - blogger claims an adult entertainment company inadvertently compromised personal information on customers due to a hacker attack - company denies any customer info was compromised. Blogger claims she should be protected as she has rights afforded a reporter - company disagrees. According to the WSJ there were 106 such suits against bloggers last year.

You readers of my blog can guess where I come out on this, right? No, seriously, freedom of speech does not extend to slander and libel in any public forum...but a free society needs a free press.

There we go again with that balancing act of freedoms...

Early to Bed, Early to Rise...

is a pain in the ass! I'm doing 5:30 am wake-ups in this phase - reminds me of the tough ol' days - get my second wind at night though...

Sikh-ing the Right Answer

So what if a person wants to serve his country by joining the military - but his religious beliefs prevent him from some aspect of traditional service?

OK, so kosher / halal dietary needs comes to mind...

But what about hair - hair today, gone tomorrow?

Background - the Sikhs are a warrior class - service is part of their core doctrine - and by tradition the devout Sikh men do not cut their hair...ever!

So what about our tradition of conscription into boot camp - the buzz cut - making all new recruits the same regardless of race, religion, etc.? Forging a common bond, and starting with the least common denominator for all of us?

My point of view is that the Sikh should not be required to cut his hair. This is the land of freedom - ideally the magnet for the brightest and best from around the world - and freedom of religion is among the most fundamental rights upon which this country was built. God bless any of our young men and women who want to serve our country, particularly in these times of peril.

Young Tiger, Old Tiger

Oh - my - goodness...! Totally spent...and humbled...yet proud...

It's a funny thing when your progeny start to "pone" you (pone = teenage slang for own / beat the crap out of / etc.).

Background - my two tigers and I crossfit in our garage gym. My big guy Sam and I just finished a killer workout (my little guy Simon just became a teenager and guess his recent growth caught up with him - he crashed).

Sam rocks - what a beast! Very inspiring - but very humbling...

"Surrender" Yin and Yang

"Surrender is not a Ranger word" says the Ranger Creed that we Rangers agree to live by. Here's the rub - what does that mean in a spiritual sense? Background - I've been meditating for about a year - really helps me channel my intensity and focus my powers (and my teenage tigers say I'm a lot easier to be around :)).

One of the concepts is the "one-ness" (sp?) of the universe, tapping into our collective consciousness, etc. So I should "surrender" my spirit...but how?!? "Surrender is not a Ranger word!"

This is a current challenge for me, as in so many areas of my life, to find the right balance.

A Woman MP in Kuwait?

Aseel al Awadhi has a good chance of being Kuwait's first female member of parliament. This is an exclusive leadership club, with only 50 serving at a given time. (By the way this UT-Austin Ph.D. doesn't wear a veil).

We wish the Kuwaitis - and Dr. al Awadhi - good luck in the elections.

Lightning Intensity - Lighting Strike

The Ranger crest has a flash of lightning on it. Of course this represents the fast and furious lighting strike capabilities of the Ranger Battalions. From my perspective it also symbolizes that injection of blazing intensity that each and every Army Ranger has.

Each of us is motivated by different factors. Ask 10 Batt Boys (real Rangers - but we'll talk about that another time) why they do what they do and you'll probably get 20 answers: patriotism, adventure and going for the challenge are some of the more common (and socially acceptable) factors.

What unites us is the mission, the camaraderie and that bolt of lightning running through our veins. As our Ranger Creed says - "100 percent - and then some!".